Do you love your voice? Do you have a point of view and want to share it? Do you want to report events as they happen? Can you sing? Do you have a band and want your compositions to be heard by hundreds of thousands of people?
If yes, then you must start podcasting. It is the best way to make your presence felt.
It is a great alternative to radio, and enjoys several advantages over traditional broadcasting. These include:
# 1. Low production costs
You need a fortune to set up a radio station. This is not so in the case of podcasting. All that you need to create a podcast are:
- Laptop to run the podcast software
- Microphone to record the podcast
- Headphones to listen to the podcast
- Internet connectivity to publish, download or stream the podcast.
Once you become a professional podcaster, you can add podcasting software to this list. In the beginning, you can download free software like Audacity, and get going.
# 2. Low hosting costs
You have the option to upload your podcasts at the free sites. These sites provide a small amount of server space free. Or else, you can use a blogging platform like WordPress to host podcasts. WordPress charges $10 a year – roughly Rs 600 — for 5 GB of space. In this, you can store hundreds of MP3 files.
# 3. Ease of creation
You don’t need a sound proof room to record podcasts. You can do so at any place that is quiet. You only need to make sure that the microphone is close to you. You also have the option to use microphones that cut out all extraneous sounds, and capture your voice only.
# 4. Wide reach
Your biggest advantage is reach. Your podcasts can be accessed anywhere in the world. All that the listener needs is a web connection. This is in sharp contrast to radio broadcasts, which can be heard only in a small radius.
# 5. Round the year availability
The radio bulletins can be heard only when they are being aired. The podcasts once created can be stored on servers for ever. You can listen to them again and again. Even more important, you can listen to them at a time and place of your choice. The radio does not provide you this luxury.
# 6. No licensing
You cannot set up a radio station without obtaining the approval of Information and Broadcasting Ministry. This is not so in the case of podcasts. You can start podcasting from any day you want. No licence is required to become a podcaster.
So, what are you waiting for? Become a podcaster today, and let the world hear you.
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